Law Abiding Citizen Movie Review Summary

Actors:Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Leslie Bibb

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Law Abiding Citizen

Clyde Shelton is an average father when his home is invaded by two criminals, Ames and Darby. Darby murders Shelton's wife and daughter right before his eyes. When captured, the DNA evidence isn't strong enough to convict them both, and Shelton's testimony isn't deemed strong enough evidence to get the job done. The lawyer, Nick Rice, tries to get Ames to squeal on Darby, but Ames won't do it. Darby, however, is happy to cut a deal, so he gets a reduced sentence while Ames gets the death penalty. Shelton is furious, as he knows this will allow the real murderer to go free, and he loses all faith in the justice system as a result. A decade later, Ames is put to death, but instead of the usual painless execution, the drug has been altered somehow and he dies in a most painful way. The evidence points to Darby having tortured his friend in this manner, and they go to pick him up. Darby is warned the cops are after him, and when he goes into hiding, Shelton is waiting for him. Shelton paralyzes Darby and slowly pulls him apart, piece by piece, as revenge. The police arrest Shelton, but Shelton points out to Rice that there is no evidence that he did anything wrong. However, when Shelton sends a videotape to Rice's daughter showing his slow and gory murder of Darby, Rice is no longer willing to cut any deals or let him walk. In court, Shelton successfully gets bail, but he takes the opportunity to scream at the judge for letting murderers get bail so easily. Shelton is put in jail for contempt of court, and he murders his cellmate with a bone from his steak dinner, landing him in solitary confinement. Meanwhile, bombs begin going off all over the city, killing law enforcement officials, lawyers, and judges. Rice must find a way to put a stop to all of this before Shelton kills again. Click here to see the rest of this review

Best part of story, including ending:
It's a wildly unpleasant film, filled with needless gore and strained attempts to be smarter than it actually is.

Best scene in story:
At one point, a cell phone explodes in a person's hands, blowing their head off, which is a cool effect, although it's needlessly dumb for a film that wants to be smart.

Opinion about the main character:
One can't help but feel like Rice, who is supposed to be our hero, got what he deserved when he let the murderers walk in the first place. It's hard to root for anyone here.